On a day when All Ireland club football title holders, Crossmaglen Rangers, crashed out of this year's championship, their final opponents last year eased past Roscommon county champions, St Brigid's, in a one-sided preliminary round game at Kiltoom yesterday to qualify for a semi-final place against Galway's Corofin.

The winners led 0-5 to 0-4 after an evenly contested first half, but a goal a minute after the restart set the tone for a one-sided second thirty minutes which saw the Mayo champions shoot a total of eight wides and still run out easy winners.

Full forward Ray Dempsey, who along with former county great, Padraig Brogan, were the most influential players on view, set corner forward Shane Sweeney up for the crucial goal just after the restart.

A fisted point from Peter Cawley a minute later could just as easily have ended up in the Brigid's net, as Knockmore took a firm grip at mid-field to build up an unassailable eight point lead with four unanswered points from Brogan frees.

The Roscommon title holders started the game brightly and after midfielder Padraic Kilcummins gave them an early advantage, they went on to lead 0-4 to 0-2 after 18 minutes. However, points from Brogan, Sweeney, and midfielder Kevin Staunton gave the strongly fancied Knockmore side the slenderest of half time leads.

St Brigid's goalkeeper, Aidan Cunniffe, one of the heroes of their Roscommon county final success, was once again in sparkling form, bringing off three crucial saves to prevent his side going down by a more comprehensive margin.